Systematic review and meta-analysis in science and clinical practice

Welcome to the e-learning course entitled Meta-analysis!

This course focuses on the theoretical basis for understanding Meta-analysis. As you progress through the lessons, we hope you will become more familiar with the key topics and the essentials of Meta-analysis. The lectures aim to introduce the essence of meta-analyses, focusing on their role in evidence-based medicine and the main steps leading to a meta-analysis. Questions will cover critical topics, such as how to design systematic search strategies, read forest plots, and assess the validity of the findings. By attending the lectures, participants will learn how to read and understand reports from meta-analyses.

Lectures:

1. Introduction to systematic reviews and meta-analysis

2. Starting a systematic review

3. Main steps of the workflow

4. Determing the scope of the review I.

5. Determing the scope of the review II.

6. Research study types and design I.

7. Research study designs II.

8. Types of systematic reviews

9. How to choose a good topic

10. Defining the inclusion criteria

11. Protocol registration

12. Systematic search

13. Search and selection

14. Variables in meta-analysis

15. Effect measures I.

16. Effect measures II.

17. Collecting data

18. Introduction to bias in science

19. Bias assessment: procedures, tools

20. Risk of bias in randomized trials

21. Bias due to missing data

22. Summary of the risk of bias assessment

23. Summarizing study characteristics and preparing for synthesis

24. Undertaking Meta-analysis I-II.

25. Heterogeneity in meta-analysis

26. Network meta-analysis I-II.

27. Synthetisizing and presenting findings using other methods

28. Figures in meta-analysis I.

29. Figures in meta-analysis II.

30. Assessing the level of evidence

31. Reporting guidelines

32. Storytelling

33. Publication strategy